RANCHO CUCAMONGA – Charles West, Rancho Cucamonga’s first mayor pro tem who helped create a vision for what would become one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, has died. He was 88.

West lived in Desert Hot Springs for 15 years before moving back to Rancho Cucamonga, the city he cherished, in April. West suffered from chronic kidney disease and died May 22.

“His health was failing and he said, `I just want to come home,’ ” said Gurutej Khalsa, West’s daughter. “I got him back (to Rancho Cucamonga) very shortly before he passed.”

In addition to serving on the City Council, West was a longtime water district board member, president of the Rotary Club and superintendent of the Sunday school at Cucamonga Methodist Church.

West was a dedicated public servant who helped shape a community on the brink of change. When the city was incorporated in 1977, West was among five men on the City Council who drafted development standards, planned the future of a burgeoning city and provided services to a growing population that was transforming the rural town into a modern suburbia.

City Manager Jack Lam, who was a community development director when West was in office, said the late mayor pro tem was part of an extraordinary City Council.

“At the time of incorporation, there was a tremendous growth wave and the county was unprepared,” Lam said. “There were few development standards, lack of sewer capacity, helter-skelter development and no General Plan to speak of.

“The council took the bull by the horns and established some order to all this chaos. They were the group that set the vision for the next 20 to 30 years.”

West served on the council from November 1977 to April 1980. He left his first term prematurely because of a job transfer as a manager of Abitibi, a company that produced wood products.

“He established a path, a roadway that led to a fine evolution of an outstanding community,” Lam said. “He was proud of that, and we’re all proud of Charlie.”

West advocated the preservation of industrial and commercial sections of the city. Both West and Councilman Phil Schlosser saw the significance of protecting these jobs-rich areas from residential encroachment.

“He’s one of the reasons why the council had a good balance,” said Jim Frost, the city’s first mayor. “He was honest, sincere, and an ethical gentleman – exactly what the city needed.”

West was born and raised in Los Angeles and served in the Marine Corps during World War II. In the early 1950s, West watched as orange groves near his Montclair home fall to make room for tract homes and moved to Rancho Cucamonga.

“There weren’t that many people here,” said Khalsa, who still lives in Rancho Cucamonga. “It was all lemon groves and grape vineyards. In the beginning, it was small, and he liked that.”

Before the fire district was established, West were among those who formed the volunteer fire department.

From 1983 to 1995, West served on the board of the Cucamonga Valley Water District.

Lloyd Michael, a close friend of West’s since the 1970s, was on the water board that appointed West. Michael said at a time when the city wanted to take over the water district, West’s support of an independent water agency were among the reasons he was an asset to the board.

“We had a lot of laughs,” said Michael, of the many years playing golf and traveling with his friend. “He wasn’t of ordinary cut. Charlie was Charlie.”

In 1990, West’s wife Rhoda West died. He later married Ladonna Haynes-West, who died in 2009.

West is survived by his three children, Gurutej Khalsa, Stephen West and Paul West, and five grandchildren. A private service with family and close friends was held on May 29.